A.D.: After Digimon -- Resurrection 2
by Ryan Berke
Summary: Continuing the epic tale by Thinker, used with permission. Gazimon's back--again! And this time, things are gonna be different... (Sorry for the re-post. Xing's new chapterization policies deleted the originals.)
1. A.D.: After Digimon -- Resurrection 2, ...

"Resurrection II"  
Part One  
(c) September 2000, Ryan Berke  
http://www.geocities.com/RyanBerke/  
  
  
((DISCLAIMER: I do not own, nor do I claim to own, any of the Digimon characters (heck, I refuse to claim even the ones I made up! Feel free to steal them!) They are all property of FoxKids, Toei, and Bandai. I haven't recieved any permission ahead of time, but then this wouldn't be a Fanfic, would it? Likewise, I do not own the "Resurrection" storyline by FFN's Thinker, but he has graciously allowed me permission to continue the epic.))  
  
((ADDITIONAL DISCLAIMER: This story is not Copywritten, as implied by the heading. (c) stands for "completed," allowing me to know when I wrote it.))  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
_Where am I this time? Heck, where was I before? Who am I? How did I get here?  
  
Too many questions...  
  
What happened before? I can't remember.  
  
The pain! I remember the pain. It was like I had enough electricity in me to power a whole city.  
  
Waita minute--it _was_ enough to power a city! I was trying to piece back together the Dark Network. And that kid...  
  
Izumi.  
  
Am I dead?_  
  
*B-RING!!!* A phone rang. Somewhere.  
  
He fumbled through the darkness, searching for the phone. Finally, he located the source.  
  
"Hello?" he asked, his voice harsh and gravelly. Was his voice always like this?  
  
"Ah, yes. Gazimon." A sinister voice answered, "I have a little job for you."  
  
A stuttering counter. "Who are you?"  
  
"That's irrelevant." the voice replied. "All you need to know, is that things haven't been going too well for us virus-type Digimon. The vaccines are killing us, one by one, bit by bit. We tried to make a comeback before, but it failed."  
  
"Demidevimon." Gazimon declared, starting to remember.  
  
The voice spat in disgust. "Demidevimon was a fool. We brought him back because we thought he could be of use to us. We were wrong." He paused a moment, gathering suspense. "You, however, are once again of use to us. I'm very interested in your work. And I want you to continue what you started."  
  
"The Dark Network."  
  
"No!" he corrected. "Demidevimon was a fool, but he was on to something. Our power is limited; we had to stick to lower lifeforms to carry out our biddings. Our resurrections run on a tight budget. However, as easy as resurrecting weaker forms are, nothing says they have to stay weak."  
  
Gazimon, confused, asked, "So my job is to..."  
  
"Isn't it obvious? You're going to build us a digivice."  
  
---------------  
  
*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*  
  
"Coming!" The man stumbled around, trippling over the clutter-filled floor.  
  
*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*  
  
"I said, 'I'm Coming!'" He opened the door, but no one was there. He looked right, left, right. Nothing. Then, the clearing of a gravelly throat directed his attention downwards.  
  
"Oh!" he exclaimed, "Mr. Newman!"  
  
"Gus will be fine, thank you."  
  
"How'd you find me?"  
  
"I stopped by the hotel, and found out you'd been fired. So I asked where you lived. I wanted to make sure you were all right. I'm so sorry."  
  
"It's okay. Say, how _is_ the miniature bunnimantis going?"  
  
"I really don't have the time. I don't have a credit card any more; my friend with metalicus monkilepsy had it, and he's dead. I need to find a place to crash for tonight; mind if I stay here?"  
  
"Well..." The doubtful reply.  
  
"Please?" 'Gus' replied, "It's so hard to find anywhere; you're the only one who understands my condition."  
  
"First, what happened to your friend?"  
  
"Incident at the steel mill. Died instantly."  
  
"And your dog?"  
  
"Bag of Pretzels. Same result."  
  
The man winced, not knowing what to say. There was a more-than-awkward silence.  
  
Gazimon broke it. "So, can I stay?"  
  
"Well, I guess it'll be okay--if you don't mind sleeping on the couch."  
  
"Thanks." 'Gus' replied, stepping through the door. He shoved his way past the man, and plopped on to the couch.  
  
---------------  
  
"So, Kari," the boy asked, "Wanna go catch a movie this weekend, or something?"  
  
"Sorry, Davis. I have other plans."  
  
"So? Cancel them."  
  
"It's not that easy." she explained, "I've got relatives coming over."  
  
"Oh." Davis sweatdropped.  
  
The bell rang, dismissing the Fourth Grade for the day. _Fri_day. The weekend. Around him, kids moved, trying to catch their buses home. Davis didn't move, enraptured by Kari.  
  
_One day, I'll have her. Then she'll be mine._  
  
"Davis?" she asked, noting just how little he'd moved.  
  
He grew nervous, knowing he'd lost. "Uh, see you Monday, then!" He ran out of the classroom faster than a Biyomon at a Bakemon family picnic.  
  
Kari smiled. "Boys are so wierd."  
  
---------------  
  
_God, how could I do that? She probably thinks I'm _stupid_ or something._ Davis spotted a soda can on the sidewalk and kicked it along a little. Then, with pent up frustration--mad at himself, mad at the world--he hauled back and kicked it for all he was worth.  
  
He _hated_ being the new kid. Here he was, with this _great_ girl, and he couldn't get her to like him. What a loser he was.  
  
The soda can flew through the air, adopting a high arc. It landed on the head of another boy. A _junior high_ school boy. Davis' head sank in his T-shirt.  
  
The boy turned his head. Man, that boy had huge hair. The soda can balanced precariously one the top of it. "Hey," the boy called, pointing at the can, "Is this yours?"  
  
Davis nodded, silently. His head sank lower.  
  
The boy laughed. "Good shot; Wanna play some soccer?"  
  
Davis grinned, "Really?"  
  
"Sure! I was gonna go meet a friend at the park. He's got a brother about your age. It'll be fun."  
  
"Okay! Let's go!"  
  
---------------  
  
"Hey, Gus."  
  
Gazimon sighed. "What?"  
  
"I'm going to have dinner with my sister's family. Their house was broken into over the winter break, and their son, Taichi, hospitalized. They need all the company they can get."  
  
_Demidevimon._ Gazimon silently grumbled. He replied, "Have fun."  
  
"I'm sure they wouldn't mind my bringing one more along with me."  
  
_Dinner at the Kamiya's? After everything already? I'll pass!_ "Sorry, I don't want to be a burden."  
  
"You won't be." the man insisted. "I'm sure they'll love you."  
  
"But my condition!"  
  
"They're very understanding. And their daughter, Kari, is so nice. I'm sure they'll see you for the wonderful person you are."  
  
"Just the same, I'd rather not."  
  
"Alright." the man sighed, defeated. "I've got some TV dinners in the 'fridge. Help yourself. I'll be taking Yami with me, so watch the house while I'm gone."  
  
"All right."  
  
"Oh, and Gus?"  
  
"What now?"  
  
"You left some stuff in your hotel room when you left last week. I did my best to collect them up for you; I knew room service wouldn't understand."  
  
Gazimon's ears perked up. "What kind of stuff?"  
  
"Mostly electronics, but there was a half-finished can of turtle wax too. It's in a box in the closet."  
  
Electronics? Did he mean the Dark Network?  
  
"Thanks, Mr...uh..."  
  
"Yagami." the man replied, "Hiroshi Yagami. But you can just call me 'Hiro'."  
  
"Thanks then, _Hiro_."  
  
"Anytime."  
  
---------------  
  
_Man, this Tai-guy's good..._ Davis admitted mentally. _But I can't let him beat me._  
  
Three-on-three. Tai played on a team with Matt and T.K. On Davis' team were Sora and Izzy. While Davis realized Sora was good, he knew she wasn't quite as good as Tai. Maybe she was once, but she just didn't have the fire in her eyes, the passion she'd once had.  
  
So that left the big-haired kid to him.  
  
Tai passed the ball to Matt--still not the most athletic person around, but he'd decided to work on it, after the run-in with MetalEtemon. Matt dribbled a few steps, passing to his brother to avoid the ball being stolen by Izzy. T.K. dodged around Sora, but Davis was ready. T.K. passed the ball to Tai, seeing that he couldn't get past Davis.  
  
You and me, Tai. They're too far behind. One-on-one. Your move.  
  
Tai pressed the advantage, continuing his onward force. Davis saw the opportunity and took it.  
  
And the almighty Tai was down in a sliding tackle, the ball rolling away, harmlessly.  
  
"You're good." Tai gasped, sucking in the air that'd been knocked out of him. More surprise than anything else. "That play never fails."  
  
"Well, it did against me!"  
  
Tai laughed, "Yeah, I suppose it did." A light dawned on him, "Hey, anyone know what time it is?"  
  
"Sure, 6:15, why?"  
  
"I'm late!" Tai exclaimed. "I'm s'posed to be home before Uncle Hiro gets there!"  
  
"That's funny." Davis mused aloud, "Kari was having relatives over too."  
  
"Huh?" Tai asked, confused, "How do you know my sister?"  
  
His _sister?_ "Uh, we go to school together. I'm in her class."  
  
"Yeah, I guess you _would_ be about her age, huh?"  
  
"Yeah. I suppose she told you all about me."  
  
"Actually...no."  
  
Davis fell, anime style.  
  
"Listen, I really should go." Tai said, "Play you again Monday?"  
  
"I'll have to check. Any way I can let you know?"  
  
"Give me you're hand."  
  
Davis obliged as Tai scribbled a few numbers on the back. "What's this?"  
  
"My phone number. Call me if there's a problem."  
  
"Okay."  
  
_This is great! I meet a great soccer player _and_ get Kari's phone number? It's too good to be true!_  
  
---------------  
  
_This is great! I get the house to myself, and that creepy guy isn't bossing me around? It's too good to be true!_  
  
*B-RING!*  
  
Gazimon jolted. Who would call a worthless, unemployed hotel clerk? Or the girl? Unless...  
  
_No..._  
  
After a while the answering machine clicked in. "It's an answering machine. You know what to do." *BEEP*  
  
"GAZIMON!!!"  
  
So much for the creepy guy.  
  
He picked up the phone, "Yes, sir."  
  
"Two more additions are being added to your team. The other two will arrive later. Now, listen carefully..."  
  
Gazimon almost smiled as he heard his options this time around. This team was even wierder than the first one! Wierd, but deadly.  
  
Man, were these kids gonna get it!  
  
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To be continued...  
  
As always, FFN readers, please Review!!!  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Email me at [RyanBerke@aol.com][1]. Questions, comments and criticism are welcome!  
  
[Click Here][2] to go to my Home Page.  


   [1]: mailto:Ryanberke@aol.com
   [2]: http://www.geocities.com/Ryanberke/



	2. A.D.: After Digimon -- Resurrection 2, ...

"Resurrection II"  
Part Two  
(c) September 2000, Ryan Berke  
http://www.geocities.com/RyanBerke/  
  
Beta Read by: Thinker, the original creator of the "Resurrection" storyline. Thanks again for giving me permission to do this.  
  
  
((DISCLAIMER: I do not own, nor do I claim to own, any of the Digimon characters (heck, I refuse to claim even the ones I made up! Feel free to steal them!) They are all property of FoxKids, Toei, and Bandai. I haven't recieved any permission ahead of time, but then this wouldn't be a Fanfic, would it? Likewise, I do not own the "Resurrection" storyline by FFN's Thinker, but he has graciously allowed me permission to continue the epic.))  
  
((ADDITIONAL DISCLAIMER: This story is not Copywritten, as implied by the heading. (c) stands for "completed," allowing me to know when I wrote it.))  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The girl sat at a table, alone, yet not alone. She was reserved, to say the least. People didn't interest her; she wasn't even here by choice. She'd just as soon stay home.  
  
Her name was Yami. Darkness. The void left in her father's heart when her mother died. Giving birth to her.  
  
Her dad tried hard, she had to give him that. He had a fairly good job at a local hotel, and managed to support the two of them rather nicely. But it hurt, knowing that'd she'd replaced something special to him, but wasn't enough to replace it entirely.  
  
She felt as if there were a great weight on her shoulders  
  
After waiting 15 minutes with no sign of cousin Taichi, the family decided to eat without him. He was a big boy; he'd be home soon. And it wasn't like he was still hurt. Cousin Hikari said grace, and the family began to eat. Moments later, Taichi burst through the door.  
  
"Sorry I'm late! I was playing soccer with Davis."  
  
Hikari's ears perked up. "Davis who?"  
  
"I dunno." Taichi admitted, "But he said he knew you."  
  
And so on. In her own little world, Yami knew she'd never fit in. In a world so strange. In a world where even from birth, she had so much to live up to. If only she could prove what she was worth; then she'd show them.  
  
Yeah, right. She cracked a smile, and continued the rigorous chore of family gathering.  
  
---------------  
  
Jeez, who's idea was this? Gazimon still wasn't sure where his entry point was, but he knew it was better than Odaiba High's locker room. God, the smell...  
  
Then again, he supposed the other's wouldn't smell all too good either. It wasn't a virus flunky's main concern in life. Especially when they're being resurrected directly from the state they were in when the Digidestined killed them.  
  
A large bulge in locker 602 told him the first had arrived. When the door broke, falling off its hinges and to the floor with a loud *CLANG*, he knew the other was there too.  
  
"Huh?" the second one asked, "What Happened?"  
  
"There isn't time." Gazimon informed. "You," he told the first, "Are a Veggiemon. You died when Matt and WereGarurumon visited your diner. And you," the second one, "Are a Bakemon. You met your demised when Joe and Sora crashed your Holiday Celebration."  
  
"So," Veggiemon asked, "What are we doing here?"  
  
"Our new boss resurrected us to help him kill the digidestined."  
  
"You're kidding, right?"  
  
"Why should I?" Gazimon replied, "They don't have their digimon. We almost beat them once before, but they beat us back. Now, we're going to take them on again, but we'll have a trump card no evil digimon has had before. A Digivice."  
  
"You're kidding, right?" Vegiemon repeated.  
  
"Not at all. I'm our techie. I've got plans drawn up for the digivice, based on data taken directly from Izzy's computer. But to put it together, I'll need components. That's where you come in; you've got a good business sense, so I'll have you be in charge of inventory."  
  
"And the Bakemon?"  
  
"Reconnaisance."  
  
---------------  
  
Bakemon floated across the city-scape, rooftop to rooftop, keeping a lookout. A very discontented lookout. Yeah, he was happy to be alive again, but what kind of a job was Recon anyways?  
  
He caught sight of two of the digidestined. He didn't know the boy, but the girl was there when Lord Bakemon died. Boy, would she be in for it...  
  
---------------  
  
"Why not?" Taichi demanded angrilly, as Sora brushed him aside and walked past.  
  
"'Cause I've got a Tennis Lesson to go to."  
  
"Since when have you played tennis?"  
  
"Since now."  
  
"Aww, c'mon! We were gonna play Soccer! Now the teams'll be uneven."  
  
"So?" she replied, "Get Matt."  
  
"He's practicing guitar. He thinks he's gonna be a big rock star some day."  
  
"Izzy?"  
  
"Computer stuff."  
  
"Davis?"  
  
"Davis?" Tai echoed. "Why him?"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"He's a little kid!"  
  
"So're T.K. and Kari."  
  
"Yeah, but that's different."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"Well..." Tai fumbled, unable to express his reasoning, "Look, Sora. Why can't you just come instead?"  
  
"I told you, I've got a tennis lesson."  
  
"Yeah, I heard you."  
  
"Well, you don't seem to be listening much, are you."  
  
"I would if there was anything worth listening to!"  
  
"Oh yeah? What would be worth it? Me agreeing to play?"  
  
"Now that you mention it...YES."  
  
"Sorry, Tai, but the world _does not_ revolve around you."  
  
"Fine, then. GO to your stupid lesson."  
  
"Alright, I will."  
  
"Fine!"  
  
"FINE!"  
  
"Who needs her..." Tai grumbled, kicking a soda can on the sidewalk. "I'll just go get Davis..."  
  
---------------  
  
_Uh oh...they're splitting up._  
  
Bakemon was torn. Who to follow? The annoying, big-haired leader, or Lord Bakemon's executioner.  
  
No contest.  
  
He floated along, tailing Sora from a distance, as she walked off to the tennis courts.  
  
---------------  
  
"What?" Davis asked, surprised. Or maybe amazed. Thrilled. Or somewhere in between. "You want _me_ to play soccer with you? Again?"  
  
"Sure." Tai grinned, "The teams won't be even without you."  
  
"Are we talking the same people as yesterday?"  
  
"T.K., yes. But Matt's got a Guitar Lesson, Sora a--" he coughed, deliberately "Tennis Lesson, and Izzy's reprogramming his computer."  
  
"That's three." Davis counted, "Who's the fourth?"  
  
"No one, if you don't hurry up!"  
  
"Alright, I'm coming." He bent over to tie his shoes. "Jun! I'm playing soccer with Tai again. Be back later!"  
  
"Alright!" an older, female voice called through a muffled door. If Tai had stopped to think, he would've asked. But he was hung up over Sora's "turning traitor."  
  
"Well, then." Tai mused, "Let's go."  
  
---------------  
  
_Great!_ Davis thought, as soon as he and Tai reached the field. _Kari's here!  
  
_"Okay," Tai announced. "How 'bout a game of 2-on-2?"  
  
"I get to be on Kari's team!" Davis blurted. He blushed a deep crimson.  
  
"T.K., is that alright with you?" Tai asked.  
  
"I don't see why not." T.K. said, "As long as Kari doesn't mind."  
  
"It's okay." Kari agreed, "I'm sure Davis is pretty good at Soccer."  
  
"Is he!" Tai exclaimed. "He's almost as good as me!"  
  
"Well, then." T.K. said, "Let's go."  
  
---------------  
  
"GAZIMON!!!"Gazimon hadn't known before what a plant sounded like when it was angry. Heck, he hadn't known plants _could_ be angry. But if Veggiemon was any indication, he was glad he wouldn't have to find out.  
  
Except now, of course.  
  
He winced, "What is it?"  
  
"These parts you asked for!" Veggiemon ranted, "Do you have any idea what they'll cost me?"  
  
"So?" Gazimon asked, "Steal them."  
  
"I'm sure the miniature bunnymantis got you a hotel room. And it did let the hotel clerk let us borrow his garage." Veggiemon reasoned, "But no way is it gonna let us blend in like common thieves would."  
  
Gazimon sighed, disturbed. Jeez, what an amateur! "Break in after the store closes."  
  
"And have the authorities hounding us? No way!"  
  
"Look, I'm sure you make a great businessman. And probably an even better slave driver. But the one thing you don't know how to do is steal."  
  
"That's right." Veggiemon agreed, "I don't. So either you can get them yourself, or you can ask for parts I can get legitimately."  
  
"Fine, I'll go." Gazimon surrendered. Then, grinning, he asked, "But how do you think the boss will react when he hears how little you were willing to help?"  
  
"The boss?"  
  
"Yeah. The boss." Gazimon repeated, emphasizing it. Then, sarcastically, "I'm sure someone who can resurrect Digimon from the dead--and in my case, twice--couldn't be too dangerous. And hey, he's evil, so it's not like he'd hold a grudge or anything."  
  
Veggiemon gulped. "All right, you win. I'll go get the parts."  
  
---------------  
  
"Well, that was a good lesson." Sora thought, aloud. "Almost surprising what you can learn in two hours."  
  
She walked on the sidewalk, back uptown where her apartment was. She was even accross the street from the park. Maybe she'd stop by and apologise to Tai.  
  
_"Fine then, GO to your stupid lesson!"_  
  
Or not.  
  
She shifted her right arm, racquet in hand, allowing the heck of the handle to rest on her shoulder. Honestly, sometimes that boy made her so angry.  
  
But then, whenever she was mad at him, she'd think about one of the nice moments. Like back at the hospital. When he said he trusted her.  
  
He was drugged up at the time, but it was the thought that counted.  
  
She chuckled, remembering. "Matt, could you tell that cat over there that her violin playing is starting to annoy me?" She said aloud, echoing his words.  
  
"I don't know about any cats," came an unexpected reply, "But I can fix things so you won't hear anything ever again."  
  
"Bakemon!" she gasped, "But you're..."  
  
"Dead?" her taunted, "'Fraid not. At least, no more than usual." He chuckled at his own little 'ghost joke'.  
  
"But how?"  
  
"Easilly, actually. First I rip out your eardrums, and then we'll see where we go from there."  
  
"Not today, buddy." She swung the racquet at him, hitting him, sending him tumbling into a nearby building.  
  
Bakemon groaned, "That wasn't very nice, girlie." He rubbed the back of his head, nursing away the pain. Rising from the concrete-and-steel rubble, he advanced again. "And I was gonna go easy on you."  
  
She swung the racquet again. Dismayed, she discovered it passed through, harmlessly.  
  
"Is someone feeling helpless?" Bakemon taunted. "You can't get me with the same trick twice!"  
  
In one last burst of hope, she glanced across the street and screamed, "TAI!!!"  
  
---------------  
  
Tai ran. And ran. His goal right in front of his eyes, he could almost touch it.  
  
And then he felt the ball get taken away in a sliding tackle oh-so-trademark of Davis.  
  
He picked himself up. _Woah...he beat me with that trick again...gotta watch out for it._  
  
"Good game, Tai." Davis congratulated. "But now, I've got to go."  
  
"Yeah, I need to go too." T.K. agreed. "Me'n Matt are gonna visit Mom tonight. I needta pack."  
  
"You only stay at your Dad's for a week." Kari asked, "How can you need a lot of time to pack."  
  
T.K. blushed. "I've got a lot of stuff. And I'm not exactly neat with it."  
  
Kari shrugged. "Fair 'nuff."  
  
"Uh...bye!" he dismissed.  
  
"Yeah." Davis agreed, "Bye!"  
  
The two ran off like Woodmon from a Meramon. Faster, perhaps.  
  
"So, Kari?" Tai asked, "One last shot?"  
  
"Sure. Where's the goal?"  
  
"Same as we've been playing."  
  
Tai set down the ball to play. He brought his leg back, ready to kick the ball into next week. Or something along those lines. His foot rushed forwards with blinding speed--  
  
"TAI!!!"  
  
--and completely missed the ball. The result: he landed flat on his back, much like Charlie Brown in a football game.  
  
_Waita minute...That was Sora's voice..._  
  
"Sora!" he exclaimed, rushing towards the shout. Towards Sora.  
  
Kari desperately tried to keep up.  
  
---------------  
  
_Huh?_ Tai wondered, still running, _A Bakemon?_  
  
"Your friend can't hear you now, girlie!" The ghost-like digimon declared.  
  
"Guess again!" Tai announced, tackling Sora to the ground. And out of harm's way.  
  
_Okay, maybe there was a better way I could've done that..._  
  
Instead, aloud, he asked, "What're you doing here?"  
  
"What does it look like?" he asked, "Avenging Lord Bakemon."  
  
"Sorry, not on my watch." Tai replied.  
  
_God, that sounded stupid. Sora probably thinks I'm a total moron..._ he thought, self-conscious. _That doesn't matter; saving her does._  
  
He lunged at Bakemon, passing harmlessly through. He rolled out of the fall, coming elegantly back to his feet, spinning the rebound the attack.  
  
Bakemon lashed out, punching the big-haired boy in the stomach. Tai curled around the fist, grabbing it and hurling the ghost into a parking meter.  
  
"Now you know why they call me 'Taichi'." he said, triumphantly. _Okay, who cares if it was Judo? It worked, didn't it?_  
  
_Good thing I started taking those self-defense classes after that bout with Demidevimon._  
  
Bakemon groaned. "Alright, now you're gonna get it..." He picked up Sora's discarded racquet, wielding it in his right hand. "And don't think I'm going easy on you, this time."  
  
_Tai needs my help._ Sora realized. Inspiration hit her, _Hey, it's worked before; why not now?_  
  
She began chanting, softly, "Bakemon, lose your power..."  
  
Bakemon swung once, twice. Both times, Tai managed to evade the pummeling. The third almost connected, but Tai grabbed the wrist, chopping the weapon from the opponent's grasp. He threw himself into one of Davis' sliding tackles, carrying him under and past the ghost, grabbing the racquet as he passed. He rose, swinging it.  
  
Bakemon tried to vaporize, but found he couldn't. He'd lost his power.  
  
"Uh oh."  
  
The racquet hit home, sending him flying down the street. He took advantage of the momentum, and fled.  
  
Tai helped Sora to her feet. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah. Thanks to you." she replied. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?"  
  
"Luck, mostly." he modestly replied. Then he admitted, "And a month-and-a-half of self defense classes."  
  
Sora stepped closer, her face inches from him. "I'd say you saved more than just yourself. You're my hero."  
  
"Hey," Tai observed, "Doesn't the hero usually get a kiss?"  
  
_Here goes..._  
  
"That depends." she replied, playfully, "On if he'd want it."  
  
"Tai! Sora!" Kari exclaimed, finally catching up.  
  
"Gyah!" they exclaimed, jumping back from each other's presence. Like the other was electrified.  
  
"I'm so glad you're alright!" Kari exclaimed. "You had me worried. Whaat happened?"  
  
"I'll explain later." Tai said, cutting Sora off before she could explain. "For now, call all the others together. We need to have a meeting."  
  
---------------  
  
"There!" Gazimon exclaimed, triumphant. With Hiro and the girl out of the house at dinner, he had all the time he could need to work on the Digivice. He was almost done; all that was left were the parts to link the machine to a specific human. And Veggiemon was getting those.  
  
Now, where would he find a kid to link it to?  
  
The front door opened. "Gus!" Hiro called, "We're home!"  
  
Yami. Perfect.  
  
Gazimon smiled. Now he'd make those kids pay.  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
To be continued...  
  
As always, FFN readers, please Review!!!  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Like this and want more? Check out my other Fic', ["What If?"][1]  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Email me at [RyanBerke@aol.com][2]. Questions, comments and criticism are welcome!  
  
[Click Here][3] to go to my Home Page.  
  
  


   [1]: http://www.geocities.com/Ryanberke/035.html
   [2]: mailto:Ryanberke@aol.com
   [3]: http://www.geocities.com/Ryanberke/



	3. A.D.: After Digimon -- Resurrection 2, ...

"Resurrection II"  
Part Three  
(c) October 2000, Ryan Berke  
http://www.geocities.com/RyanBerke/  
  
Beta Read by: Thinker, the original creator of the "Resurrection" storyline. Thanks again for giving me permission to do this.  
  
  
((DISCLAIMER: I do not own, nor do I claim to own, any of the Digimon characters (heck, I refuse to claim even the ones I made up! Feel free to steal them!) They are all property of FoxKids, Toei, and Bandai. I haven't recieved any permission ahead of time, but then this wouldn't be a Fanfic, would it? Likewise, I do not own the "Resurrection" storyline by FFN's Thinker, but he has graciously allowed me permission to continue the epic.))  
  
((ADDITIONAL DISCLAIMER: This story is not Copywritten, as implied by the heading. (c) stands for "completed," allowing me to know when I wrote it.))  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"--and now, on local news..."  
  
*CLICK*  
  
"--was this young boy, assaulted, or was..."  
  
*CLICK*  
  
"--criminal activity is now at an all time high, and..."  
  
*CLICK*  
  
Silence.  
  
Gazimon still stared at the television before him. This was not good. Definately not good.  
  
The public had not taken well to the public assaults of Taichi Kamiya and Sora Takenouchi, one-time National Heroes. In fact, coupled with the first series of resurrections, this was twice that Tai had been attacked. And of course, the media was more than happy to follow the story.  
  
He'd been assigned a police escort. Although the escort was officially there to discourage further attacks, he was not above protecting Tai from something potentially more dangerous: Reporters.  
  
But that wasn't Gazimon's direct concern. Once his plan was in action, there'd be nothing the officer could do to stop him. No, his was another problem altogether.  
  
"Bakemon." he called, grimly. Emotionless.  
  
Definately not good.  
  
"Yes, Boss?" the Ghost-like 'mon replied.  
  
Gazimon inhaled, restraining himself. Resources were low; it wouldn't do to execute the idiot. No matter how foolish he was. Still, he needed to be taught a lesson.  
  
"What did you do today?"  
  
Bakemon blinked in surprised. Definately not what he'd expected. "Uh...well...I was flying around, and then I saw--"  
  
"Answer the Question!" Gazimon burst, mentally cursing himself for it.  
  
"I, uh, attacked one of the Digidestined. The Takenouchi girl."  
  
Gazimon almost smiled. Bakemon was weak. Afraid. And was taking this lesson in protocol very well.  
  
Almost.  
  
"And what were your orders?" Gazimon probed, continuing the line of questioning.  
  
"Recon duty. To fly around, scout out activity, and stay hidden--"  
  
"Which is exactly what you _didn't_ do, unless I'm mistaken." Bakemon replied with a shake of his head, as Gazimon paused briefly to accent his verbal blows. "Because of your mistake, you're all over the news, and our cover is blown. And the Digidestined know we're here! Do you have any idea how much more difficult this operation will be without the element of surprise on our side?"  
  
Bakemon shuddered. He knew he'd messed up, but hadn't thought about it that way.  
  
Gazimon sighed, barely managing to reign himself in. "I assume you had a good reason for this act of treason."  
  
The words stung harshly. Deeply. Bakemon, if nothing else, were famed among Virus-types as being loyal to their masters. Under both Lord Bakemon and Phantomon, they'd followed orders explicitly, and without question. To be accused of elsewise was unthinkable.  
  
And yet, here it was happening.  
  
"I'm sorry. I just though--"  
  
"If you'd thought," Gazimon snapped, "You would've realized the need for secrecy! We could lose everything, thanks to you! Now, the digidestined'll be after you--"  
  
"Uh, Boss?" Veggiemon intruded.  
  
"WHAT IS IT?!?!"  
  
"Phone call, for you. Line 1. Uh, he says it's urgent."  
  
_Who knows I'm here? I haven't gone anywhere, haven't been seen doing anything. Why would anyone call me? Unless..._  
  
Gazimon gulped.  
  
"I'm on it." He said, his voice barely audible. "Just a moment."  
  
---------------  
  
"Yes, Master?" Gazimon greeted, his head turning to look every direction in paranoia. Last thing he needed was for Hiro to catch him borrowing his phone.  
  
Heck, last thing he needed was Hiro finding the phone. Thanks to some techno-wizardry on Gazimon's part, the phone rang completely silent. Instead, a small, LED light would blink, indication of an incoming call.  
  
But on the plus side, he'd rigged it to bill long distance at five cents a minute _all_ the time, not only after six.  
  
He shook his head. He'd been working on Earth for too long.  
  
"Gazimon," the entity acknowledged, "I'm going to make one more addition to your team. Follow my directions exactly, and everything will fall into place..."  
  
---------------  
  
"Okay, guys." Tai said, safe in the near-privacy of his and Kari's room. It was morning, a Sunday morning, which meant school was out. He'd left his escort outside the bedroom door, insisting that he'd be okay in his own room, with his own friends. The officer grudgingly ceded.   
  
Tai, Sora, and Kari sat on his bunk, with T.K. above them in the top bunk, laying on his stomach. Izzy sat cross-legged on the floor, behind his laptop; Matt straddled the back of a chair in a "tough guy" imitation. Mimi took advantage of a new addition to the room, a bean-bag chair.  
  
The only one missing was Joe.  
  
"As soon as Joe gets here--"  
  
"Don't start without me!" Joe exclaimed, as he bolted through the door. He stopped suddenly, as the officer grabbed him by the collar, jerking back with the sudden force of stopping. "Uh, Tai? What's going on?" He looked pleadingly at Tai, receiving a shrug as the officer began to pat down the blue-haired boy for hidden weapons.  
  
Dismissed, Joe sat where he collapsed, sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. The officer excused himself, and closed the door behind him.  
  
"Now that that's over," Tai resumed, "We've got a problem. I'm sure you've seen the news."  
  
They nodded.  
  
"Just making sure everyone was up to speed," he explained. "That means one of two things: either there's survivors from the first resurrection, or there's been another. Suggestions?"  
  
"Either way," Joe noted, "We can bet it's not going to be good."  
  
"Alright," Matt offered. "We'll do the same as last time: check hotels for strange digimon. We already know which ones they're likely to visit from last time."  
  
"You're assuming their mission is the same as last time." Izzy replied, "Last time, we decided they needed internet access because they were reconstructing the Dark Network. But what if they're doing something different this time?"  
  
"Or for that matter," Joe added, "If they're even evil. Maybe he was confused."  
  
"I doubt it." Sora corrected. "Not after the way he talked about pulling out eardrums and--"  
  
"Eww! Stop it!" Mimi interrupted.  
  
"It seems to me," T.K. said, "That all we really can do is keep our eyes open, and hope we can stop the bad guys before they do anything too bad."  
  
"You're right, T.K." Tai agreed. That's all we really _can_ do."  
  
---------------  
  
"Hiro!"  
  
_I can't believe I'm doing this! It's humilating enough, having to live in his home, but to keep up this charade of being polite..._  
  
The idea made Gazimon's fur crawl.  
  
"Hiro, where are you?" he echoed, "I know you're around here somewhere."  
  
"Sorry, Gus." the man apologised, "I'm in a rush. I needta drop some books off at the library before they open. They don't charge late fees if the books are there before they are.  
  
"Oh, sure." Gazimon ceded, "I just wanted to know if I could use your garage."  
  
Hiro stopped in place, thinking. Finally, he agreed, "If I let you, will you watch Yami while I take care of this and run a few errands?"  
  
"How long?" Gazimon asking, hiding the joy in his voice--this was better-than-perfect!  
  
"Two hours. Maybe three."  
  
Gazimon faked a sigh. "Okay." he said, as if annoyed. "I'll take care of her."  
  
"Thanks." Hiro said, walking out the door. It closed behind him with an audible 'click'.  
  
Gazimon jumped to his feet, eager to begin right away. "Yami," he called, "Come here, please..."  
  
---------------  
  
Even since Gazimon had first started staying at the Yagami's house (which didn't say much, seeing Friday was only two days before), Yami had intrigued him. In a creepy kind of way. Here was this guy, although a total moron, he was still outgoing. Yami, however, was neither.  
  
Where did she get it from? He'd seen no signs of a living mother anywhere, and it was more-than-obvious she was nothing like her cousins.  
  
Stupid brats.  
  
But Yami; there was something different. So dark. So mysterious. So alone.  
  
So...sinister.  
  
He knew she didn't try to be evil. She did everything she could to be good. But when you're an 8-year-old trying to live with a moron of a father and no mother, there's a lot of responsibility involved. And when one has to keep emotion bottled up inside...  
  
Well, small wonder she'd sometimes cut loose.  
  
The girl would go crazy eventually. Of that, Gazimon was certain. Manic depressive, multiple personality syndrome; some sort of mentai illness. But for now, she was just irrational enough to be of use to him.  
  
And that's why the two of them sat on a couch, in an otherwise empty garage, while he tried to play psychologist to her. Tried to gain a hold on her psyche.  
  
"Yami," he soothed, "I understand you're going through some hard times."  
  
"What do _you_ know?" the girl griped.  
  
"Plenty." Gazimon assured, spinning lies upon lies with ease, "I know what it's like to be alone. How frustrating it is, to have all this emotion, and no outlet to vent with. I had no friends growing up; who wants to be friends with a grey-haired freak?"  
  
Yami looked up, suddenly interested. Maybe he _did_ understand. How she'd been separated from other kids, because she had no mother. How she had to be her own mother.  
  
"How did you manage?" she asked, rapidly opening up. "What'd you do when the sadness got to be too much?"  
  
"I'd cut loose." he replied, frankly, but still a lie, "I'd haul off, and hit someone. And with claws like these, they'd be sorry." He chuckled, and Yami had to agree. It _did_ sound like fun.  
  
"Sounds fun." she commented. "But I bet you got in a lot of trouble."  
  
"Did I?!?" Gazimon exclaimed, in friendly tones. "All the time!"  
  
She sighed. "But wouldn't it be great if you could do stuff like that without worrying about getting in trouble?"  
  
_Jeez,_ Gazimon reflected, _This is just _too_ easy..._  
  
"Actually." Gazimon added, "What if I could guarantee you a way to vent your frustration, and no one would _dare_ to oppose you?"  
  
"All right." Yami agreed. "Whatcha got?"  
  
---------------  
  
They'd switched gears, now. Instead of the garage, they'd moved the couch back into the living room. They were now in the study: Gazimon's adopted workshop-of-horrors.  
  
"This," Gazimon introduced, holding up a mess of wiring: the wiring he'd been working with for the past two days, "is a Digivice. Almost."  
  
"What does it do?"  
  
"I'll tell you," Gazimon cautioned, "But if I do, can you keep a secret?"  
  
Yami's eyes lit up; there's nothing an 8-year-old likes more than being trusted with a secret. She eagerly nodded her head.  
  
"I'm not really a human. Not even a diseased one. I'm really--"  
  
"An alien?" Yami asked, hopeful.  
  
Gazimon chuckled. "No. But I am a Digimon."  
  
"Whats a dih-gee-mon?" Yami asked, letting the new word roll around on her tongue.  
  
"A Digital Monster. Creatures who live in the digital world."  
  
"Do they all look like you?"  
  
"Some," he admitted, "But not all. They all digivolved differently."  
  
"Dih-gee-volv'd?"  
  
"In our world, creatures evolve as they age." he explained, "For example, I used to be a Pagumon. But now, I'm a Gazimon."  
  
Yami didn't even try those names. "What'll you turn into next?"  
  
"I'm not sure." he admitted, "That's why I need your help."  
  
"My help?"  
  
"Yes," he assured, "With the digivice, you can help me digivolve. Once it's done, that is."  
  
"Once it's done?"  
  
"Yeah. My colleague should be getting the parts right now..."  
  
---------------  
  
Radio Shack. Well, outside a Radio Shack, to be precise. Veggiemon hadn't figured out how to get inside yet.  
  
It was 10:32. And 10:31. And 10:35. As Veggiemon read the clocks through the window, he didn't even want to get into the differences in seconds.  
  
Sunday morning. The store opened at 11:00. Not enough time to get inside. Well, not without setting of alarms.  
  
That ruled out being discrete.  
  
He pulled back with a vine, and hauled of, shatterring the glass pane.  
  
Alarms blared, but few people took notice. The ones that did dove for cover; decked out in his trench-coat, Veggiemon didn't look like someone to pick a fight with.  
  
He hopped through the newly-created hole in the wall. This was too easy...  
  
---------------  
  
"Matt?"  
  
"What, T.K.?"  
  
"How are we gonna find Bakemon by just walking around on the street?"  
  
Matt paused, stopping mid-stride. T.K. had a point. How _would_ they find Bakemon, walking around downtown, with no idea where he was? And if they did, would they want to? Tai and Sora were in pretty good shape, but Matt was the stay-at-home-and-style-his-hair type--improving, but still not the best athlete. And T.K. was, well, a little kid.  
  
"I don't know, T.K. But we have to try."  
  
Suddenly, across the street, they heard the blaring of an alarm, and flashing of red lights. They were coming from the Radio Shack.  
  
Matt moved to run, but sighted something from the cornet of his eye. A yellow vine, extending from the sleeve of the trench-coated figure.  
  
"Come with me, T.K." he ordered, "And keep quiet."  
  
---------------  
  
_This is just too easy..._ Veggiemon thought, hopping out the window again, a bundle of electronics in his hands.  
  
The plant Digimon sprinted down the street, as fast as he could.  
  
If he'd stopped to look, he'd've noticed the two blonde-haired boys following close behind.  
  
---------------  
  
"Kamiya Residence, Tai speaking."  
  
"Tai," a voice gasped into the phone. Thank God!"  
  
Tai glanced quickly around, to make sure no one was listening. His escort got the clue, and retreated from the kitchen into a bedroom.  
  
With the coast clear, Tai asked, "Matt, what's wrong?"  
  
Matt quickly related the Veggiemon incident. "Me'n T.K. were following him, but he lost us in a residential district a few blocks away."  
  
"A few blocks away?" Tai asked, "My Uncle Hiro lives there. In fact, since I was just about to visit him anyways..."  
  
Matt took the hint. "Then you could check on Veggiemon for us. Great Idea!"  
  
"Thanks." Tai thanked, "I'll be right over."  
  
--------------  
  
Tai stood at the front door of Uncle Hiro's house. He knocked once, twice, three times. No reply. He lifted his hand to knock again, but stopped.  
  
A car pulled into the driveway. Uncle Hiro stepped out.  
  
_I guess that explains why no one answered..._ Tai thought.  
  
But the front door started to open.  
  
_Okay...this is _definately_ weird..._ He had no idea how weird it really was.  
  
He looked at the figure in the door, recognizing it immediately. "Gazimon!" he gasped.  
  
He immediately went on the defense. No way was he going to be attacked a _third_ time. From the street, the officer took the hint and raised his gun.  
  
Gazimon, however, picked a totally different tactic. He slammed the door.  
  
---------------  
  
Dammit! How had the kid found him? Unless...  
  
"Veggiemon! You lead Kamiya here!"  
  
"Nuh-uh! He wasn't anywhere close!" Veggiemon replied, defensively. "His Uncle _does_ live here. Maybe he came to visit."  
  
"Either way, we're sunk. We're out of options."  
  
There was a loud *CLANG* of metal-on-concrete from the garage.  
  
"What was that?" Veggiemon asked.  
  
"Our option." Gazimon smiled. "Our last team-mate just arrived."  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
To be continued...  
  
As always, FFN readers, please Review!!!  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Like this and want more? Check out my other Fic', ["What If?"][1]  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Email me at [RyanBerke@aol.com][2]. Questions, comments and criticism are welcome!  
  
[Click Here][3] to go to my Home Page.

   [1]: http://www.geocities.com/Ryanberke/035.html
   [2]: mailto:Ryanberke@aol.com
   [3]: http://www.geocities.com/Ryanberke/



	4. A.D.: After Digimon -- Resurrection 2, ...

In response to Gennai's Apprentice's question regarding Davis' meeting T.K.:  
  
_"Ah yes, the saga continues, beautiful, but I have one question. According to the first episode of 02 I thought Davis just met T.K. for the first time, if he saw him at the soccer game, I think he'd recognize him again in class. Also, what's with the underscores? Other than that, simply beautiful!"_  
  
--Davis seems to have trouble remembering T.K.'s name. And this _is_ a year and a half before T.K. starts going to the school regularly. I figured a few quick soccer games wouldn't be a problem.  
  
--The underscores? A bad habit I picked up from ["Daigakusei no Ranma"][1]. It's basically meant to stress the word, much like bold or italic.  
  
  
And the one regarding Bakemon:  
  
_"Two things... Gazimon's a Data Digimon who's obviously corrupted and there are a whole lot of Bakemon(Myotismon episodes), why is this one special?"  
  
_--I borrowed Gazimon from Thinker; ask him.  
  
--I just picked a Bakemon. That one had a good motive to attack Sora. It made sense to me at the time.  
  
  
And a similar question from Jyou Shindoran:_  
  
"Joe killed the bakemon you dopeattic ya"_  
  
--Yeah. But Sora was there. And it was conveinient to the story.  
  
  
  
"Resurrection II"  
Part Four  
(c) October 2000, Ryan Berke  
http://www.geocities.com/RyanBerke/  
  
Beta Read by: Thinker, the original creator of the "Resurrection" storyline. Thanks again for giving me permission to do this.  
  
  
((DISCLAIMER: I do not own, nor do I claim to own, any of the Digimon characters (heck, I refuse to claim even the ones I made up! Feel free to steal them! Just please, let me _know_ before you steal them.) They are all property of FoxKids, Toei, and Bandai. I haven't recieved any permission ahead of time, but then this wouldn't be a Fanfic, would it? Likewise, I do not own the "Resurrection" storyline by FFN's Thinker, but he has graciously allowed me permission to continue the epic.))  
  
((ADDITIONAL DISCLAIMER: This story is not Copywritten, as implied by the heading. (c) stands for "completed," allowing me to know when I wrote it.))  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The Yagami Residence. The Garage. A motley crew has assembled: one grey, fuzzy rabbit, one walking-talking vegetable, one white-bedsheet-over-a-living-center ghost, and a giant mecha.  
  
Affectionately known as Gazimon, Veggiemon, Bakemon, and Mekanorimon.  
  
"C'mon, c'mon!" Veggiemon panicked, banging on the side of the mecha digimon. "Start, you piece-of junk!"  
  
"Now, now." Gazimon scolded. "All the panicking in the world won't save us it we don't keep our heads. After all, this is only a minor setback."  
  
"Monor setback?" Veggiemon exclaimed. "A _minor_ setback? I'd hate to see what you call a major catastrophy!"  
  
"The solution is simple." Gazimon replied, matter-of-factly. As if the answer was obvious. "Kill the boy now, and take care of the rest later."  
  
"And how do you suggest we do this?"  
  
"With Mekanorimon." Gazimon answered. "Like I said, he's our option."  
  
"One problem: he won't work."  
  
"Then we'll have to make him work. Fast."  
  
"But we don't even know what's wrong with him!"  
  
"Uh, guys?" Bakemon asked, trying to get a word in edge-wise.  
  
"WHAT?" They exclaimed, more-or-less in unison.  
  
"You _do_ know that that thing needs a pilot, don't you?"  
  
Gazimon's jaw dropped in surprise. "How'd you know that?"  
  
"I used to fly one of these things for Lord Piedmon."  
  
"Used to?" Veggiemon asked.  
  
Bakemon sweatdropped. "I got court-martialed when Gennai stole my mech from me. Long Story."  
  
"What're you waiting for?" Gazimon exclaimed, ecstatic. "Get in!"  
  
--------------  
  
"Taichi!" Uncle Hiro exclaimed, "What a pleasant surprise!"  
  
Tai decided to press the matter, feigning surprise. "Was that just a giant, grey rabbit you had in there?"  
  
"Oh, no!" Hiro corrected. "That's Gus Newman. A friend of mine. And he's not a rabbit; it's his condition. He's got miniature bunnimantis."  
  
"Could I meet him?" Tai asked, politely.  
  
"I don't see why not." Hiro replied. "Let me just unlock the door..."  
  
Hiro slipped the key into the lock and turned it. He twisted the doorknob, but it only opened a few inches.  
  
"Hmm. He must've left the dead-bolt in." Hiro realized. "That's okay; we can go in through the garage."  
  
---------------  
  
"C'mon! Hurry!" Veggiemon exclaimed, screaming nervously at the Bakemon, "They'll be in here any minute."  
  
"I think this button arms the lasers..." Bakemon pondered, oblivious.  
  
Mekanorimon's reaction, to say the least, was abrupt. As Bakemon pushed the button, the giant mecha's eyes lit up bright red, and the internal viewscreen powered up. He toggled into heat vision, and focussed on the garage door. Behind the door, he detected two rough forms. He zoomed in on one.  
  
Switching vision again, he identified the one that was Tai. Crosshairs bracketed the boy's head, and Mekanorimon was ready to fire.  
  
But still, he was only a machine. Following his programming, he announced loudly: "Twin Beam!"  
  
His arms rose and a shot fired, but even then, he knew he'd missed.  
  
---------------  
  
With Gazimon around, Tai knew he'd best be careful. Physically, the flop-eared bunny was weak--easily brought under control by the megalomaniacs he'd worked for. But mentally...  
  
Tai shuddered. He didn't even want to _think_ about the carnage the techno-maniac was capable of.  
  
Ever restless, he treaded lightly on the driveway. He was alert, ready to jump out of the way of any attack.  
  
Lady Luck must've been with him; he got all the warning he needed.  
  
"Twin Beam!"  
  
Tai dodged, letting his newfound obsession in self defense take control. His duck-and-roll carried him into the front lawn. And out of danger.  
  
He couldn't say the same for the garage door. It was totaled. Looked like Uncle Hiro wouldn't be using it for a while.  
  
Then again, judging by the condition of his car, he wouldn't need to for a while, either.  
  
"Gus!" Hiro gasped, in-shock. "What's going on?"  
  
"The name's Gazimon." he growled. "And thanks for the hospitality. Get them, Mekanorimon!"  
  
The officer tried to react. A well-placed "Twin Beam" taught him otherwise.  
  
Too bad he wouldn't live to make use of the lesson.  
  
"Tai!" Matt exclaimed, running up behind. The cavalry had arrived. "You've got to get out of here!"  
  
"Don't worry." Gazimon cautioned, "There's more than enough time to take care of both of you."  
  
Matt ignored the warnings, and kept running. He passed Tai, and hopped into the now-abandoned police car.  
  
The car was running in mere moments, with Tai and Hiro piling in. T.K. rounded the corner, and Matt slowed to let his brother in. Barely.  
  
"How'd you get the car running so fast?" Tai asked, as trees zipped by outside.  
  
"I've been drilling myself in case something like this happened."  
  
Tai didn't even want to _think_ about why Matt would drill himself in grand theft. Some things were better off unknown.  
  
"Stop!" Hiro demanded. "They've got Yami! We've got to go save her!"  
  
"Sorry, Unc'." Tai apologised. "Yami's with then, now."  
  
---------------  
  
"Stop!" Yami pleaded. "Why're you trying to hurt my Dad?"  
  
"It's not your father we're after, Girlie." Bakemon snickered. "It's your no-good cousins."  
  
Veggiemon *thwapped* him up-side, shrinking back as the Mekanorimon turned it's head to stare visciously at him.  
  
"What was that for?" Bakemon demanded, rubbing the back of his armored head.  
  
"Keep yer mouth shut, moron!"  
  
"Who're you calling moron, dummy!"  
  
"Who're you calling dummy, moron!"  
  
Oh yeah. That was original. This was getting no-where, fast.  
  
"Silence, both of you." Gazimon ordered. Both mouths clamped shut, Bakemon biting his tongue doing so. And a big set of metal teeth clamping on a little fleshy tongue wasn't all too comfortable. "Now: they know where we are. Let's move."  
  
Taking Gazimon and Yami in each hand, Mekanorimon went airborne, leaving Veggiemon hanging for dear life on his back.  
  
Zooming over the city, he trailed Matt's stolen cop car just long enough to watch it leave, then veered off, searching for an emergency base-of-operations.  
  
---------------  
  
"Guys, we've got a problem."  
  
Everyone knew Tai was making an understatement. A big one. The armored cop car and the fire hydrant it'd crashed into we sure signs of that. That, and the lack of the escort.  
  
At least, the apparent lack of an escort. Hiro, slumped on the couch as he was, didn't strike anyone as the highest choice in a protector.  
  
"Go for it." Izzy replied.  
  
"'kay." he started, "Bakemon's not the only one who's back. So far, we've spotted Veggiemon, Gazimon, and a Mekanorimon. We think that's it."  
  
"Four digimon?" Sora asked, skeptical.  
  
"So?" Tai asked. "There were four last time."  
  
"Yeah." she agreed, "But they were four weaklings. Either the force sending them wasn't powerful enough to be picky, or thought they'd be enough. Since they weren't, one of two things should've happened: they'd send more guys, or they'd make a last ditch attempt. To try the same thing over seems pointless."  
  
"Unless," Joe observed, "Those four were all they needed."  
  
Everyone silenced. The words sunk in, dramatically, as all tried to interpret the implications of Joe's statement.  
  
"Uh-oh." Tai said, after a few moments.  
  
"What?" everyone asked, in unison.  
  
"What did the Viruses--"  
  
"Virii." Izzy absently and automatically corrected.  
  
"_Virii,_" Tai amended, "try to do last time?"  
  
"Use your digivice to digivolve one of them." Kari replied.  
  
"What would they need to make one of them digivolve?"  
  
"A Digivice, and a Digidestined." T.K. said. "And the Digidestined would needta be in trouble, or something!"  
  
"What does it take to make a Digidestined?"  
  
"Is there a point to all this?" Mimi asked, irritated.  
  
"Bear with me." Tai apologised. "Well?"  
  
"The encounter at Heighton View Terrace, about six years ago." Izzy replied.  
  
"So, they'd need a kid who was at Heighton View Terrace during the incident, and a digivice." Tai summed up, with grim realization. "Yami and Hiro were staying with us the night that it happened."  
  
All were silent. They'd wondered if there could be more kids like them. Now, it appeared that there could.  
  
"So, they've got Yami." Yamato shrugged, "Don't get me wrong; it's not a _good_ thing. But they don't have a Digivice for her."  
  
"I'd love to agree with you." Taichi said, "But Uncle Hiro worked at the hotel you guys found the first batch at. If he found Gazimon's stuff and gave it back to them--"  
  
"--then they've got a working schematic of your Digivice. From when Gazimon had it." Izzy finished.  
  
"And Veggiemon was stealing parts from a Radio Shack." Yamato added.  
  
"So, they bad guys _could_ have a digivice for Yami?" Joe asked.  
  
"Yes." Tai replied. "And if they do, we're all in big trouble."  
  
----------------  
  
Yami sat, huddled in a corner, out of the way. Gazimon argued, yelling at Bakemon, yelling at Veggiemon, and just yelling in general. Yami even heard some words she'd never heard of before, but they didn't sound too friendly.  
  
Oh, well. Life as usual, she supposed. Granted, this was a little more adventurous, but the added tension did nothing to remove her of her ability to fade into the background. She was good at that. Staying hidden, waiting for her moment to shine.  
  
And if Gazimon held up his promise, that day wouldn't be too far off.  
  
She listened in on their rantings, for lack of anything better to do. Tried to, anyways. Apparently, they'd stopped. The result, "Ba-ka-mon" flew off, probably scouting again. "Veg-gee-mon" sifted through electronics, scrounging up repair parts. And "Gah-zee-mon"...  
  
Gazimon was headed right for her.  
  
"I bet you're a little scared now, aren't ya, Yami?"  
  
"No." she lied.  
  
"Don't be." he ignored, seeing through the ruse. "Everything's gonna turn out alright."  
  
"Then will people start listening to me?"  
  
"Try and stop them." Gazimon replied. "You'll have them playing to your whims."  
  
"How?"  
  
"Well, you gotta hold up to a few promises _I_ made, first." he admitted. "You gotta help me destroy the digidestined."  
  
"Di-gee-des-tin'd?" she asked, trying the word on for size.  
  
"Yeah. Digidestined." Gazimon confirmed. "Kids who can control their own digimon. Like your cousins, Tai and Kari. And their friends."  
  
"Like me?" she asked. "Will I get a digimon of my own?"  
  
"We're still workin' on that." Gazimon admitted. "We're not sure _which_ one of us you'll get. Probably me; Veggiemon doesn't change too much, just into Red Veggiemon. Mekanorimon _can't_ digivolve. And do you really want to see what the Baka turns into?"  
  
She giggled.  
  
"So, if I destroy Tai and his friends, you'll give me this power?"  
  
"That's how it works."  
  
"I've never really had a best friend." she admitted. "Can we be best friends, forever?"  
  
"Together." Gazimon agreed. "I'd love to see them try and stop us."  
  
----------------  
  
"Monkey wrench." Izzy requested.  
  
"Monkey wrench." Joe affirmed, handing Izzy the tool.  
  
"Don't wanna be your monkey wrench..." Matt sang, softly.  
  
"Hammer."  
  
"Hammer."  
  
"If I had a hammer..." Matt sang.  
  
Izzy grinned. "Left-handed fireshifter."  
  
"Huh?" Joe and Matt asked, in unison.  
  
"It doesn't exist." Izzy explained. "I just wanted to see Matt come up with a song for it."  
  
"And while _you're_ drilling each other on Music Trivia," Tai fumed, "Gazimon's converting Yami to do god-only-knows-what!"  
  
"Sorry." They all apologised, solemnly. Matt twiddled his thumbs while the other two returned to work.  
  
"Screwdriver."  
  
"Screwdriver."  
  
Izzy looked at the tool in his hand, then back to Joe. "No, a _flat-head_ screwdriver."  
  
"Oh." Joe replied. "Sorry."  
  
Tai tapped his foot, impatiently. "Are you guys done _yet_?"  
  
"Tai!" Sora scolded. "I'm sure they're working as fast as they can, and you're not helping."  
  
"But Sora--"  
  
"No buts, Tai." Sora interrupted, "You're just going to have to let them finish this out."  
  
"Actually," Izzy said, "We _are_ finished."  
  
"Oh." Sora shrugged. "I guess it's okay then. This time."  
  
"So?" Kari asked, looking at the bizarre jumble of parts, "What is it?"  
  
"This," Izzy explained, "Is how we find Yami."  
  
---------------  
  
Bakemon floated over the twilit city. It was cold, humid, cloudy, and he _hated_ it.  
  
Recon duty. Again.  
  
He blinked. A bright light hit him in the face. He fell, dazed, onto a rooftop, below. Rubbing his head, he rose.  
  
A spotlight. With a giant bat shape in the middle of it.  
  
Batman?  
  
No, Batman didn't exist. But vampires did.  
  
Ironic, but true.  
  
And there was only one type of vampire Bakemon knew of. Myotismon.  
  
To hell with Gazimon. He was gonna join up where the _real_ winners were.  
  
---------------  
  
Bakemon touched down on a rooftop. The bat-shaped spotlight lay, propped on an angle. He looked around, searching for it's creator.  
  
"Myotismon?"  
  
"Sorry." a voice apologised. "He's not coming."  
  
*CRASH* Suddenly, the starless sky didn't seem so starless anymore, Bakemon decided, dazed, right before he blacked out.  
  
Izzy stepped out of the shadows, rubbing his hands together.  
  
"It worked!" Joe exclaimed. "How'd you know?"  
  
"They don't call them Baka-mon for nothing." Izzy chuckled.  
  
The two of them stepped over to a stairwell, opening the door and inviting the others to join them. Withing moments, the team was assembled on the roof.  
  
Tai glanced at the fallen Bakemon. Encased in the shattered lighting, the ghost made quite the sight. He wouldn't be waking up for a while--and who would, after having a huge spotlight smashed over their head? "Nice work." he whistled, appreciatively.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Okay," Sora asked, "Now What?"  
  
"Phase 2." Izzy replied. "Matt, Mimi, warm up the car. Everyone else, with me."  
  
---------------  
  
"Huh?" Bakemon wondered, clearing his head.  
  
Those damned Digidestined! Clobberin' him over the head like that! They'd pay for this embarassment.  
  
They'd pay.  
  
Pay. Money. Veggiemon. The team. Interesting train of thought, but one nonetheless. What time was it? He was supposed to report back in.  
  
The sun. It was starting to rise. It was getting light, which meant he had to be getting gone.  
  
He flew over the rooftops, oblivious to the people tailing him below...  
  
---------------  
  
"Gazimon!" Bakemon explained, apologetically. He burst into the empty warehouse they'd adopted for their new base. Bad guys _always_ had to use an abandoned warehoure--it was in the rules. "Sorry I'm late; the Digidestined--"  
  
"Silence!" Gazimon ordered. "Can't you see I'm working with out guest?"  
  
"It's okay." Yami excused, yawning. "I should be getting to school, anyways."  
  
"Why?" Gazimon asked, "What has school done for you, anyways?"  
  
"I need school if I'm going to be successful in life." Yami explained, "Then people will respect me."  
  
"True," Gazimon agreed. "But we can help you to gain respect _much_ sooner. Through fear."  
  
Yami's ears perked up. "Tell me everything."  
  
"Don't listen to him!" Tai exclaimed, bursting into the room. "He's trying to trick you!"  
  
"You! You lead the Digidestiend here!" Gazimon screamed at Bakemon. He composed himself. "They're obviously jealous of this opportunity we've opened up to Yami. Dispose of them, please."  
  
Bakemon chuckled, taking his place at Mekanorimon's controls, "Gladly."  
  
---------------  
  
In every hero's life, events always break down into a moment of triumph. This was one such moment.  
  
And Yamato Ishida was one such hero.  
  
He watched, silently, as Bakemon approached his cluister of friends. Slowly, the Mecha-encased ghost approached the group, and slowly, they backed away. Away from the Mecha, but into his sights.  
  
Now, dead ahead, was the mecha. Matt turned the key, fired up the engine, and rocketed forwards. He grinned insanely at Mimi, next to him, hoping to reassure her.  
  
He failed.  
  
"Now, Yamato!" she screamed, "We gotta bail!"  
  
"Wait for it..."  
  
"Are you crazy?"  
  
"Wait for it..."  
  
"Uh-uh. I want out, now!"  
  
"Wait for it...NOW!"  
  
Two doors burst open, and two digidestined flew out.  
  
Armored car. Armored mecha.  
  
Armored shrapnel.  
  
"No!" Gazimon exclaimed, as Mechanorimon exploded. Bakemon was violently flung from the wreckage. He crashed into a metal beam, and both digimon vanished into digidust. "They're ruining everything!"  
  
"You're finished, Gazimon!" Tai exclaimed, triumphantly.  
  
"I think not! Veggiemon, get them!"  
  
The Digimon timidly approached, trying his best to look fierce. And failing. He jabbed left, right, left, using his roots as fists. But in the end, he was Veggie, all too Veggie.  
  
Tai's roundhouse kick caught him under the chin, sending him skidding accross the floor. Into a life wire.  
  
Fried Vegetables, anyone?  
  
"Yami." Tai pleaded. "Come with us. You don't need this, and you don't need Gazimon. Please, for your own good."  
  
"Since when have _you_ cared about my own good?" she asked. "When Parrotmon came to Earth, you saved Kari, but didn't care about me! I was there too! Nobody's ever cared about me, and now, it's time for some payback."  
  
The home-made digivice in her arms was abnormally large, but not unmanagably so. "Gazimon," she ordered. "Digivolve."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
*Apologies to the Foo Fighters for use of their song, "Monkey Wrench." If the guy who wrote "If I Had a Hammer" is still alive, then my apologies to him too.  
  
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To be continued...  
  
As always, FFN readers, please Review!!!  
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Like this and want more? Check out my other Fic', ["What If?"][2]  
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Email me at [RyanBerke@aol.com][3]. Questions, comments and criticism are welcome!  
  
[Click Here][4] to go to my Home Page.  
  
  
  


   [1]: http://www.dkcomm.net/
   [2]: http://www.geocities.com/Ryanberke/035.html
   [3]: mailto:Ryanberke@aol.com
   [4]: http://www.geocities.com/Ryanberke/



	5. A.D.: After Digimon -- Resurrection 2, ...

"Resurrection II"  
Part Five  
(c) November 2000, Ryan Berke  
http://www.geocities.com/RyanBerke/  
  
Beta Read by: Thinker, the original creator of the "Resurrection" storyline. Thanks again for giving me permission to do this.  
  
  
((DISCLAIMER: I do not own, nor do I claim to own, any of the Digimon characters (heck, I refuse to claim even the ones I made up! Feel free to steal them! Just please, let me _know_ before you steal them.) They are all property of FoxKids, Toei, and Bandai. I haven't recieved any permission ahead of time, but then this wouldn't be a Fanfic, would it? Likewise, I do not own the "Resurrection" storyline by FFN's Thinker, but he has graciously allowed me permission to continue the epic.))  
  
((ADDITIONAL DISCLAIMER: This story is not Copywritten, as implied by the heading. (c) stands for "completed," allowing me to know when I wrote it.))  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Oh no..." Sora moaned, "We're too late..."  
  
She was right. Their mission was to save Yami, prevented her from being turned into an instrument of evil. Instead, they'd waited too long, and she'd accepted them. And now, Gazimon was digivolving.  
  
Gazimon, digivolve into ... Fuzzimon!  
  
"Fuzzimon?" Yami asked, skeptical.  
  
"Hey, I didn't choose the name." he replied defensively. "What else did you expect a rabbit to turn into?"  
  
"But still... Fuzzimon?"  
  
"I know..." Gazimon sighed. "Must've been a design flaw in the digivice. But it's better than nothing, right?"  
  
"No _way_ am I gonna gain respect using something called Fuzzimon."  
  
"We'll worry about that later. Right now, we've got other obligations."  
  
"Right." Yami agreed. As a pair, they turned to face the Digidestined. Her, the 8-year-old rebel, he, the shaggy grey wolf. In essence, he was a smaller, shaggier Garurumon. More compact, efficient, and much faster.  
  
Of course, he'd miss the opposable thumbs. Programming would never be the same.  
  
"Get on my back." he barked.  
  
She complied. Awkwardly, she tried to swing one leg over. She failed, and Fuzzimon bowed lower to help her out.  
  
Naturally, the Digidestined did not stand still to wait it out. Given a choice between fighting a bunny-gone-mad, or surviving, they opted to run. A quick smash to a car window, a few wires moved, and Matt was barrelling down the streets of Odaiba in a new Ford Pickup, six kids piled in the back, Mimi in the passenger seat.  
  
"What're we going to do now?" Izzy yelled over the wind.  
  
"We need to stop them." Tai replied, loudly, stating the obvious. "We need to get through to Yami."  
  
"But how? She won't listen to us." Sora pointed out.  
  
Tai's eyes lit up. He opened the rear cab window, gaining access to the front seats. "Matt, head for my house."  
  
"What?" he asked, in disbelief. "That's the _first_ place they'll look for us!"  
  
"Yeah." Tai agreed, "But it's also where we'll find Uncle Hiro."  
  
---------------  
  
"Uncle Hiro!" Tai exclaimed, opening the front door. The others followed him in. "Hey, Unc'!"  
  
No response. Concern crossed Tai's face, and Kari looked like she was going to be sick. Tai tried again, urgently, "Uncle Hiro!"  
  
He sprinted from room to room. Panicked, he checked everywhere: closets, furniture; even under the couch cushions. With no success, he was on the verge of collapse.  
  
Izzy glanced calmly at the kitchen counter. Scrawled in red ink, he saw a note.  
  
_Taichi,  
I'm not sure what's going on, but I do know Yami's missing. Thanks to you and your family for giving me a place to stay. Now I'm off to find her.  
--Hiroshi Yagami_  
  
Izzy's brow furroughed. "Tai, you might want to take a look at this."  
  
He grabbed the note, nearly ripping it as he tore it from Izzy's grasp. He read the note faster than he'd ever thought possible.  
  
His face paled, "Everyone, split up, but stay in two's. Decide your groups now. One person, gather search equipment, cell phones and walkie talkies where possible. The other, myself included, are with Matt, for now. He's gonna give us a crash course in grand theft auto.  
  
"Err, scratch that. A _lesson_ in grand theft auto." he weakly cracked a grin, "Let's go."  
  
---------------  
  
"This is fun, Gazimon!" Yami exclaimed. They ran, full tilt, down Main Street, passing the Radio Shack and bent parking meter from the previous days' battles. The wind tore at Yami's hair, sending it flying backwards. Without it's full length in front, she resembled Kari, although maybe a year or so younger. Resembled, but not exact.  
  
Fuzzimon noted that she still wouldn't call him by his new name. But who could blame her?  
  
He stopped, skidding to a halt right outside an abandoned lot.  
  
"What're we gonna do now?" she inquired.  
  
"Last time I checked, your cousin's digimon could evolve one level farther."  
  
"Tai had a digimon?" she asked.  
  
"All the digidestined did. It's what made them so dangerous."  
  
"And why we have to destroy them?" she recalled.  
  
"Exactly." Fuzzimon growled.  
  
"So what does that have to do with us?"  
  
"I'd like to see if I could digivolve again too."  
  
Yami paused. She already had a digimon, and a powerful one at that. She'd definately be noticed, now.  
  
But then, one never could have _too_ much power, could she?  
  
"Okay." she agreed.  
  
"Good." Fuzzimon ordered. "Stand over there by that fence. I'm going to attack you, but don't worry. One of the major digivolving requirements is that the human be in danger. I'll try not to hurt you too much."  
  
"Okay." she replied, nervously. She wasn't sure she liked where this was going.  
  
But for the sake of power, she'd do it.  
  
_Perfect,_ Gazimon silently praised himself. _If this works, you'll be stronger. If it doesn't, you won't need the girl anyways. It doesn't get much better than this._  
  
Power surging through him, he drew energy from the very base of his diaphragm. Energy built up inside him, in a searing crecendo. Finally, the power became too much, until:  
  
"Lightning Pulse!"  
  
---------------  
  
"Okay." Tai explained, once everyone had returned, "Here's the plan: we need to stop Yami and Gazimon. Yami's just a kid, but with Fuzzimon backing her, she's a dangerous kid. We don't want to hurt her if we have a choice, but in the end we may not."  
  
"She made Gazimon digivolve!" Kari protested, "We can't hurt another digidestined."  
  
"What makes you so sure?" Izzy countered, "Just because we've never met evil digidestined before, doesn't mean they can't exist. Remember when Matt turned on all of us?"  
  
Everyone's face fell, in rememberance. But good-old-reliable Joe was ready to cheer them up, "Yeah. Who knows? Maybe one day we'll have to fight another kid from taking over the digiworld?"  
  
Mimi laughed, "A Digimon Emperor? Yeah right, like _that'll_ ever happen!"  
  
"Whether it does or not, it's not our concern." Tai replied, bringing everyone back to reality. "What matters is that Yami's still out there, and we've got no choice but to stop her.  
  
"We've got to convince her that what she's doing is wrong. But the only one she'll listen to is Uncle Hiro, who has apparently gone missing."  
  
"So, what do we do?" Sora asked.  
  
"We split up." Tai replied. "We need to stop her, and we need Uncle Hiro. Let's hope we can manage without him."  
  
---------------  
  
Fuzzimon looked himself over. He hadn't changed. Which meant...  
  
Poor kid. She just fell in with the wrong crowd. But she was a brave girl, and he had to respect her for that.  
  
Her body stirred. She was alive! "Yami?" he asked, cautiously.  
  
"Fuzzimon?" she returned, dazed. He could now she she hadn't got out of it scotch-free; her clothed were torn, hair a mess, and blood trickled from an open head-wound. But she was standing, and she was alive.  
  
No normal person could've survived a blast like that. She really _was_ a digidestined. And she deserved every bit of the respect she craved.  
  
"Sorry." he apologised. "I though it'd work."  
  
"I did too." she agreed. "It's not your fault."  
  
"Where to next?"  
  
"I have a few ideas." she grinned.  
  
---------------  
  
"So, fearless leader," Sora teased, "Where're we going?"  
  
"To find Yami." he replied bluntly. "You heard what Gazimon said to her; she's in this for respect. And if I know Yami, there's one place she'd turn to first."  
  
--------------  
  
"We're he-ere!" Yami announced with a chuckle, as she and Fuzzimon reached the gates of Odaiba Elementary. It was around noon, which meant kids would be out on the playground.  
  
The same kids who oppressed her the past few years.  
  
Perfect.  
  
"Fuzzimon." she said, "You know what to do."  
  
"With pleasure." he grinned.  
  
"No! Don't do it, Yami!"  
  
Tai! That meddling cousin! She'd have to take care of him once and for all.  
  
A car rammed them, hitting Fuzzimon in the side. He managed to dodge, somewhat, and the blow merely grazed him. Yami went flying, but hit the pavement with a roll, coming through relatively unscratched.  
  
Fuzzimon winced as a sharp pain took his side. He smelled blood, and this time it wasn't Yami's. He glowed, and reverted to Gazimon.  
  
Fascinating. So _this_ was what it felt like when the Digi-brats did it.  
  
Of course, it didn't do him any good now.  
  
"You're finished, Gazimon!" Tai declared. How cliché.  
  
"I think not!" Gazimon replied. "You've used your only tool against me, and you've got nothing left. Meanwhile, I'll just digivolve again. I hold all the cards, and I intend to use them."  
  
"Gazimon, are you ready?" Yami asked.  
  
"Any time."  
  
Gazimon, digivolve into ... Gazimon?  
  
"It didn't work!" Gazimon exclaimed, "I don't understand."  
  
"Digimon need energy to digivolve." Tai gloated. "You've used all yours up."  
  
"I've still got enough to beat you!" he resisted. "Electric Shock Attack!" (*I forget what the attack is called. They used it in Ep.15: "Dark Network Concert Crash!")  
  
"Get down!" Tai ordered, dragging himself and Sora to the ground, doging the blast.  
  
A car crash on the playground was bound to draw some attention. So was a wolf that turned into a rabbit. But when the rabbit started shooting electricity out if its claws, it was more than enough to convinve the kids to call it quits. They panicked, a mob scattering everywhere, teachers leading the pack.  
  
Tai grabbed Yami's wrist, "You've lost, Gazimon has lost. Just give up, for everyone's sake. Please."  
  
She pulled away, "No. You can't take me back. I'm gonna take what's rightfully mine!"  
  
She squirmed her way into the crowd, and Tai quickly lost sight of her amidst the other children.  
  
--------------  
  
Gazimon stumbled through the building. He had to get more power, just _had_ to.  
  
He looked around making sure he wasn't being followed. Then he saw the sign over a door.  
  
Student Dining.  
  
He greedilly rubbed his hands together in anticipation, and enterred the room.  
  
---------------  
  
_Hello. This is Mr. Fugiyama speaking. I'm sorry, b ut I can't come to the phone right now..._  
  
Of all the cell phones Matt could've stole, he _had_ to choose Tai's homeroom teacher. Perfect.  
  
Tai just prayed he wasn't getting a wrong number.  
  
The voice mail beeped, inviting Tai to leave a message.  
  
"Matt, please pick up the phone. Please. It's me."  
  
"Hello?"  
  
Thank god! Tai thought, but composed himself. "We've got a problem."  
  
"What happened?" Matt asked.  
  
"We found Yami and Gazimon, but then we lost them. We're at Odaiba Elementary right now--"  
  
"I'm on my way."  
  
"No. We need Hiro. I need you to find him, and I need him now. Let the others know too."  
  
"You sure about this, man?"  
  
Tai grinned, "Am I ever?"  
  
"Touché." Matt agreed. "Be careful. Fuzzimon's powerful."  
  
"I know." Tai replied, "But this time, Gazimon's gonna get it."  
  
---------------  
  
"Gazimon?" the girl asked, worried. She was alone, more alone than she'd ever been before. She'd given her all in this attempt, and if it failed, she'd never have any respect again.  
  
"Gazimon, where are you?"  
  
"Right here." she heard, coming from the Cafeteria.  
  
"Gazimon?" she asked, stepping in, "What're you doing here?"  
  
"I hate to admit it, but Tai was right." he explained, "I need more energy."  
  
"But eating _school_ food?" she asked.  
  
"Hey!" he exclaimed, defensively, "It works!"  
  
She rolled her eyes. Already, she could see the respect fluttering right out the window. "Are you ready, yet?"  
  
"Not quite." he admitted. She began to protest, but he cut her off, "I've had enough food, but I'd like to fix up the digivice."  
  
"How come?"  
  
"The digidestined could turn me back from Champion to Rookie. I want something a bit more powerful; something that won't go away when hit by some crummy old car."  
  
"How long will it take?" she asked, impatient.  
  
"An hour, tops."  
  
"You've got twenty minutes."  
  
---------------  
  
"Hey, Yami!" Tai called, "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"  
  
"Careful what you wish for, Cuz'." she cautioned, stepping into view. "It just might come true."  
  
"C'mon." Tai ordered, "Let's go."  
  
"No!" she protested, "You have no idea what this means to me. I _need_ this, and I _need_ to do this. All my life, I've never been seen as anything. Just the girl who's mother was too weak to live, and the father to dumb to support. I've worked like anything for things everyone else takes for granted. And I'm looked down upon for it; me, who earns everything she does, being put down for being hard-working."  
  
"Now, Yami." Sora soothed, "You know that's not true."  
  
"What do you know?" Yami countered. "You don't know what it's like; to have everything taken away from you. I don't want it this way--I want to be normal. I want a normal life and a normal family. I want to be respected for my hard work and integrity, and I want it now."  
  
Tai and Sora felt themselves squinting as a strange, black light emanated from the little girl. It flooded the room, filling it's contents with a strange, eerie glow. The light in front of Yami shimmered, as something came into being. When the light cleared...  
  
"It's a crest!" Tai gasped, shocked.  
  
"The Crest of Desire." Yami added, knowing but not knowing how. "Now Gazimon really _can_ digivolve to the next level.  
  
"And those who stand in my way will die."  
  
---------------  
  
"Can I drive, Joe?" T.K. begged.  
  
"You're too young." he replied.  
  
"So're you." T.K. pointed out.  
  
"Desperate times..." Joe sighed.  
  
T.K. decided against asking what that meant.  
  
"What next?" he asked, instead.  
  
"We're looking for Hiro."  
  
"Duh." T.K. replied rudely, "Isn't everyone?"  
  
"I guess so." Joe replied.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"And speaking of which," Joe added, pulling over. "There he is."  
  
---------------  
  
"Matt! I found him!" Joe exclaimed into the voice mail. Moments later, the blond-boy answered the phone. "Really?"  
  
"Yeah." Joe confirmed, "He's in the car right now."  
  
"Then head on over to Obaiba Elementary." Matt ordered. "Tai's there, and he's gonna need the help."  
  
---------------  
  
Tai and Sora weren't sure what to do. They were at the end of their ropes; backed against the wall, Gazimon in front of them, flanked by Yami and the digivice.  
  
Things definately didn't look good.  
  
Yami spoke, "You've gotten in the way for the last time, Digidestined. Our master has ordered that you be destroyed, and it's going to happen."  
  
"Your master?" Tai asked, stalling.  
  
"That's none of your concern." Gazimon growled, before Yami could say anything. Last thing he needed was her asking questions about the master.  
  
"You're dead, Digidestined." she declared. "This is for my mother, my father, and for me."  
  
"No." a voice resisted, enterring the room. Hiro's voice. "This wasn't how I raised you, Yami."  
  
"_You_ raised _me?_" she laughed. "I took care of everything. I paid the bills, bought the food, and covered whenever your no-good job wasn't enough."  
  
"You're right, and I'm sorry." Hiro agreed, "It was no way to live. But we made it through together. And no matter what anyone else said, you meant more to me than anything else in the world. No matter what, _I_ respected you."  
  
A tear formed in the corner of Yami's eye. She'd never known. And now, she was about to ruin it all.  
  
"Dad!" she cried, running into his arms. They met in a great hug, not caring who was watching or what they thought.  
  
"No!" Gazimon exclaimed. "He's trying to trick you! Trying to draw you away from our true goal."  
  
"And you." Hiro replied, setting his daughter down. "I trusted you. Mr. Gus Newman indeed. What an idiot I've been--I mean, miniature bunnimantis?"  
  
"You always were the fool."  
  
"Perhaps." Hiro conceded, "Everything's my fault. I gave you a place to stay, I gave you the parts for your abominable mechanations, and I practically handed over my daughter after how she'd been treated. Well y'know what? All that's over, starting right now!"  
  
"Yeah?" Gazimon sneered.  
  
"Yeah." he agreed. "Because Yami's back with me again, and this time, I'm going to do things right. She doesn't need you, and without her, you're powerless. We've won."  
  
Gazimon's eyes widened at the implications. Hiro was right. He'd lost.  
  
"At least I'll have the pleasure of taking you down with me!" he lunged, panicked. Tai stepped in the way, but not before the rabbit managed to leave a nice, big gash across Hiro's chest. Yami looked on in horror as her father lay wounded, blood gushing out.  
  
"I trusted you." she cried, face contorted, a sadistic echo of her father's previous words. "And I never want to see you again."  
  
Gazimon froze as she raised the digivice far over her head. She smashed it into the floor with all her strength, pieces shattering everywhere. Gazimon screamed a resounding "No!" that followed him all the way into digidust.  
  
Yami collapsed on the floor, her knees weak. Tai offered a hand, helping her back up. "C'mon Yami. It's over."  
  
---------------  
  
Weeks later. The digidestined sat gathered at their traditional meeting place, Odaiba Central Park. They sat in their traditional circle, ninth and tenth persons added to their ranks--the latter of which bandaged up extensively, still preferring certain muscles to others.  
  
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Joe asked.  
  
"I'm a bit nervous, I'll admit." Hiro replied, "But I feel it's something We have to do."  
  
"Y'know," Kari offered, "I'm sure Mom would let you stay with us."  
  
"I'd love to, but I couldn't." he dismissed.  
  
"Not after all the trouble I caused." Yami agreed.  
  
"You may've been trouble," Matt agreed, "But you came through in the end."  
  
"It couldn't have been easy for you." Tai agreed. "But you did the right thing. And a guy's gotta respect that."  
  
She smiled, "Thanks, Cuz'."  
  
"Now what I'd like to know," Sora added, "It how did it work? Apocalymon destroyed our tags and crests, and our digimon didn't die."  
  
"The explanation is simple." Izzy explained, "After failing his first attempt at digivolving to ultimate, Gazimon decided he didn't have enough power coming in at a fast enough rate. He channeled his life energies into the digivice, trying to power a faster connection. He never imagined he'd be destroyed by his own dupe." He rushed top add, "No offense to you, Yami."  
  
"None taken." she smiled, "But you're right. I was duped. And Dad saved me."  
  
"He was willing to sacrifice himself for us all." Kari agreed.  
  
"His sacrifice saved us." Yami echoed, "I'd love to forget what I've done, but that means forgetting the one person who means the most to me. I won't be a digidestined anymore, but I won't ever forget. Because in the end, my father pulled through.  
  
She hugged he injured parent, who in turn found himself trying not to wince. "He lived up to his name. He truly is my Hiro."  
  
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Fellow readers,  
  
Writing this story has been one of the greatest writing experiences I've ever had. It's not every day someone gets to not only add on to one of their favorite stories, but with the permission of the author, while being beta-read and encouraged every step of the way by him too. I'm sorry the end dragged out so much, and that you had to wait so long between parts.  
  
As of late, I've been feeling a bit "digied out." This has happened before, after watching "Prophecy" and "The Battle for Earth" back to back, six hours straight (aren't 5-year-old brothers wonderful?). However, the experience also drove me to start my own digifictions, killing off Tai and Matt. "What If?" became one of my favorite stories I've ever produced, and it's only going to get better.  
  
Thinker is on sabbatical. I probably should be too, seeing my outlook on Digimon right about now. But I'm not. I'm going to keep working, not because it's what Thinker would've wanted, not because I feel compelled to keep my audience happy, but because it's something I need to do.  
  
People who loved "What If?", I'm working full-tilt on the sequel now, "If Only..." The first part is finished and held in reserve, the second on paper and awaiting typing. I've waited since May to finish the original and start on this sequel, and since 02 came out to put it into effect. I gave up on-paper manuscripts in favor of direct-to-computer in my efforts to speed along "What If?" to this point.  
  
And all I can say is, if you liked the original, you'll _love_ the sequel.  
  
Peace,  
--Berke  
  
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As always, FFN readers, please Review!!!  
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Like this and want more? Check out my other Fic', ["What If?"][1]  
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Email me at [RyanBerke@hotmail.com][2]. Questions, comments and criticism are welcome! [Click Here][3] to go to my Home Page.

   [1]: http://www.geocities.com/ryanberke/035.html
   [2]: mailto:ryanberke@hotmail.com
   [3]: http://www.geocities.com/Ryanberke/



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